Good judgment means considering all available information, weighing the risks and benefits, and making decisions that align with company policies and objectives. Employees with strong judgment skills are able to prioritize tasks effectively, handle unexpected situations with composure and professionalism, and demonstrate good judgment in difficult or ambiguous situations. On the other hand, employees who lack judgment skills may make poor decisions, take unnecessary risks, struggle to prioritize tasks, and fail to adhere to company policies and procedures.
Performance Review Questions: Judgment
These questions will help you gain a better understanding of an employee’s judgment, allowing you to identify their strengths and areas for improvement.
- Does the employee consistently make sound decisions?
- Does the employee consider all available information before making a decision?
- Does the employee take calculated risks when necessary?
- Does the employee seek input from others when appropriate?
- Does the employee learn from mistakes and adjust their decision-making approach accordingly?
- Does the employee prioritize tasks effectively?
- Does the employee handle unexpected situations with composure and professionalism?
- Does the employee adhere to company policies and procedures?
- Does the employee demonstrate good judgment in difficult or ambiguous situations?
- Does the employee show good judgment when dealing with confidential or sensitive information?
Related: Best Performance Review Examples for 48 Key Skills
2000+ Performance Review Phrases: The Complete List (Performance Feedback Examples)
Judgment Performance Review Phrases and Paragraphs Examples
5 โ Outstanding
Example Phrases
- Consistently makes sound decisions
- Demonstrates exceptional judgment in all situations
- Takes calculated risks when necessary and achieves excellent results
- Proactively seeks input from others to inform decision-making
- Learns from mistakes and adjusts approach accordingly
- Prioritizes tasks effectively and consistently meets deadlines
- Handles unexpected situations with composure and professionalism
- Adheres to company policies and procedures without exception
- Demonstrates exceptional judgment in difficult or ambiguous situations
- Maintains confidentiality and handles sensitive information with discretion
- Shows remarkable ability to analyze complex situations and make optimal decisions
- Consistently anticipates potential problems and implements preventive measures
- Demonstrates outstanding ability to balance multiple stakeholder interests
- Makes decisions that consistently benefit both short and long-term objectives
- Exhibits excellent critical thinking skills in high-pressure situations
- Shows exceptional ability to weigh risks and rewards effectively
- Consistently chooses the most efficient and effective course of action
- Demonstrates remarkable insight when solving complex problems
- Makes decisions that consistently align with organizational goals and values
- Shows exceptional ability to adapt decisions based on changing circumstances
Example Paragraph
“[Employee] consistently demonstrates exceptional judgment in all situations. They take calculated risks when necessary and achieve excellent results. [Employee] proactively seeks input from others to inform decision-making and learns from mistakes, adjusting their approach accordingly. They prioritize tasks effectively and consistently meet deadlines, handling unexpected situations with composure and professionalism. [Employee] adheres to company policies and procedures without exception and demonstrates exceptional judgment in difficult or ambiguous situations. They maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion. Overall, [employee] is an invaluable asset to the team and consistently exceeds expectations in their judgment.”
4 โ Exceeds Expectations
Example Phrases
- Consistently makes sound decisions
- Demonstrates good judgment in all situations
- Takes calculated risks when necessary and achieves good results
- Seeks input from others to inform decision-making
- Learns from mistakes and adjusts approach accordingly
- Prioritizes tasks effectively and meets deadlines
- Handles unexpected situations with composure and professionalism
- Adheres to company policies and procedures
- Demonstrates good judgment in difficult or ambiguous situations
- Maintains confidentiality and handles sensitive information appropriately
- Shows strong ability to analyze situations and make informed decisions
- Regularly anticipates potential problems and takes preventive action
- Demonstrates strong ability to balance competing priorities
- Makes decisions that generally benefit both short and long-term goals
- Exhibits strong critical thinking skills under pressure
- Shows good ability to assess risks and rewards
- Regularly chooses effective courses of action
- Demonstrates good problem-solving abilities
- Makes decisions that align well with organizational objectives
- Shows strong ability to adapt decisions when circumstances change
Example Paragraph
“[Employee] consistently demonstrates good judgment in all situations. They take calculated risks when necessary and achieve good results. [Employee] seeks input from others to inform decision-making and learns from mistakes, adjusting their approach accordingly. They prioritize tasks effectively and meet deadlines, handling unexpected situations with composure and professionalism. [Employee] adheres to company policies and procedures and demonstrates good judgment in difficult or ambiguous situations. They maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately. Overall, [employee] consistently exceeds expectations in their judgment and is a valuable member of the team.”
3 – Meets Expectations (Acceptable)
Example Phrases
- Generally makes sound decisions
- Demonstrates adequate judgment in most situations
- Takes calculated risks when appropriate
- Seeks input from others when necessary
- Learns from mistakes and adjusts approach accordingly
- Prioritizes tasks effectively and meets most deadlines
- Handles unexpected situations with some composure and professionalism
- Adheres to company policies and procedures most of the time
- Demonstrates adequate judgment in difficult or ambiguous situations
- Maintains confidentiality and handles sensitive information appropriately most of the time
- Shows satisfactory ability to analyze situations and make decisions
- Usually anticipates potential problems and takes appropriate action
- Demonstrates acceptable ability to balance competing priorities
- Makes decisions that generally support organizational goals
- Exhibits adequate critical thinking skills in normal situations
- Shows reasonable ability to assess risks and rewards
- Usually chooses appropriate courses of action
- Demonstrates acceptable problem-solving abilities
- Makes decisions that typically align with department objectives
- Shows satisfactory ability to adapt when circumstances change
Example Paragraph
“[Employee] generally makes sound decisions and demonstrates adequate judgment in most situations. They take calculated risks when appropriate and seek input from others when necessary. [Employee] learns from mistakes and adjusts their approach accordingly. They prioritize tasks effectively and meet most deadlines, handling unexpected situations with some composure and professionalism. [Employee] adheres to company policies and procedures most of the time and demonstrates adequate judgment in difficult or ambiguous situations. They maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately most of the time. Overall, [employee] meets expectations in their judgment and is a reliable member of the team.”
2 – Needs Improvement
Example Phrases
- Occasionally makes poor decisions
- Demonstrates poor judgment in some situations
- Takes unnecessary risks at times
- Does not seek input from others when appropriate
- Does not learn from mistakes and repeats them
- Struggles to prioritize tasks effectively and meet deadlines
- Handles unexpected situations with little composure or professionalism
- Does not consistently adhere to company policies and procedures
- Demonstrates poor judgment in difficult or ambiguous situations
- Struggles to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately
- Shows limited ability to analyze situations before making decisions
- Often fails to anticipate potential problems or take preventive action
- Has difficulty balancing competing priorities
- Makes decisions that sometimes conflict with organizational goals
- Exhibits weak critical thinking skills under pressure
- Shows inconsistent ability to assess risks and rewards
- Often chooses ineffective courses of action
- Demonstrates limited problem-solving abilities
- Makes decisions without considering long-term consequences
- Shows reluctance to adapt decisions when circumstances change
Example Paragraph
“[Employee] occasionally makes poor decisions and demonstrates poor judgment in some situations. They take unnecessary risks at times and do not seek input from others when appropriate. [Employee] does not learn from mistakes and repeats them. They struggle to prioritize tasks effectively and meet deadlines, handling unexpected situations with little composure or professionalism. [Employee] does not consistently adhere to company policies and procedures and demonstrates poor judgment in difficult or ambiguous situations. They also struggle to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately. Overall, [employee] needs improvement in their judgment and would benefit from additional training and support to improve their decision-making skills.”
1 – Unacceptable
Example Phrases
- Consistently makes poor decisions
- Demonstrates poor judgment in most situations
- Takes unnecessary risks frequently
- Does not seek input from others when appropriate
- Does not learn from mistakes and repeats them
- Fails to prioritize tasks effectively and misses deadlines frequently
- Handles unexpected situations with little to no composure or professionalism
- Does not adhere to company policies and procedures
- Demonstrates poor judgment in all difficult or ambiguous situations
- Fails to maintain confidentiality and mishandles sensitive information frequently
- Shows no ability to analyze situations before making decisions
- Completely fails to anticipate problems or take preventive action
- Unable to balance competing priorities
- Makes decisions that regularly conflict with organizational goals
- Exhibits no critical thinking skills under any circumstances
- Shows no ability to assess risks and rewards
- Consistently chooses harmful courses of action
- Demonstrates no problem-solving abilities
- Makes decisions that damage team and organizational effectiveness
- Shows complete unwillingness to adapt decisions regardless of circumstances
Example Paragraph
“[Employee] consistently makes poor decisions and demonstrates poor judgment in most situations. They take unnecessary risks frequently and do not seek input from others when appropriate. [Employee] does not learn from mistakes and repeats them. They fail to prioritize tasks effectively and miss deadlines frequently, handling unexpected situations with little to no composure or professionalism. [Employee] does not adhere to company policies and procedures and demonstrates poor judgment in all difficult or ambiguous situations. They also fail to maintain confidentiality and mishandle sensitive information frequently. Overall, [employee] is unacceptable in their judgment and is not meeting the expectations of the role. Immediate action is necessary to address these issues. It is recommended that [employee] receive additional training and support to improve their decision-making skills and judgment. In addition, [employee] should be closely monitored and provided with clear expectations and feedback to ensure they are meeting the standards of the role. If there is no improvement, further disciplinary action may be necessary.”